As Time Slips Away
by xXSunshineGirlXx
Summary: As the time slipped away, so did their friendship. Will they be able to reconstruct it when one tragic event affects all of them? [Takes place 6 years after HSM, all of them are 1 year out of college. TROYELLA, CHAYLOR]
1. Chapter 1

As Time Slips Away

A High School Musical fan fiction by xXPhilippineSunshineXx

_Summary: As the time slipped away, so did their friendship. Will they be able to reconstruct it when one tragic event affects all of them? (Takes place six years after High School Musical, so they're all one year out of college.) This story contains Troyella and Chaylor, and a bit of romance, might have a sequel. DISCLAIMER: I __DO NOT__ own High School Musical_

A twenty-two year old Troy Bolton went out to the back of the apartment building and into the basketball court and shot some hoops. He was living in an apartment in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He had just gotten out of college a year ago, and he had found himself a nice place to live. Across the town, a twenty-two year old Gabriella Montez sat down on her sofa and started reading a book. She was also just out of college, and she was looking for a job. She recently had an interview as a librarian at the library, and she was sure that she'd get that job. They had both forgotten about each other, since they had been accepted to different colleges, they had lost contact with each other. That had happened to Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie as well. Taylor was a clerk at a JCPenney store, and Chad was working as a basketball coach at the local gym.

Those four friends, well, former friends had lost contact with one another, and they hadn't seen each other in five years. The Evans however, Sharpay and Ryan were, of course, still in contact with the other twin, but they also had lost contact with the rest of 'the gang.' Sharpay was an actress for some plays with Ryan of course, but they hadn't landed a main role in a while. Troy went back into his apartment, and found that he had lost his keys. He sighed and went back outside, and found his keys on the bench. He picked them up and put them in his pocket and ran back up to his apartment.

He opened his door and poured himself a glass of water. He downed the water and sat down on his couch and turned on the TV. He started flipping channels and stopped at the news. The newscaster was saying something about a car accident, but Troy thought nothing about it until he heard the man say, "Twenty-two year old Chad Danforth was just in a car accident, he seems to have lost control of his car, and crashed into a tree. Mr. Danforth is in the hospital at this time..." After that though, he tuned out the TV and thought, _Could this be the same Chad Danforth I was friends with from high school? _They showed a picture of him and Troy recognized him immediately. He ran to his room and opened a drawer and took out a slip of paper. That paper had Gabriella's cell phone number on it, along with Taylor's, Sharpay's, Ryan's, and also Chad's, but he wouldn't need Chad's at the moment. He desperately hoped that this was still Gabriella's number. He dialed it into his phone and the phone rang once, then twice, three times, and then, _finally _she answered.

_Troy's conversation with Gabriella: _Gabriella: Hello? Troy: Hey, Gabriella, this is Troy. Gabriella: Troy? Troy Bolton from East High? Troy: Yeah, that's me. But, did you hear what happened? Gabriella: What happened? Troy: You remember Chad Danforth from East High? He was my best friend and sort of Taylor McKessie's boyfriend? Gabriella: Yeah, I remember him. Troy: Well, he was in a car accident, he's at the hospital, he's probably in really bad condition. Gabriella: Oh no, that's, um, I hope he's OK. Troy: It was on the news, so, I hope Taylor and Ryan and Sharpay know. Gabriella: I'll be at the hospital. 'Bye. Troy: 'Bye _End Conversation_

It felt good to talk to Gabriella again after all those years. He moved on to his next order of business and called Taylor. It rang five times before she answered.

_Troy's conversation with Taylor: _Taylor: Hello? Troy: Taylor, this is Troy Bolton, you know, from East High? Taylor: Troy Bolton, the star player of the Wildcats Troy Bolton? Troy: Yeah. Remember Chad Danforth? Taylor: Chad Danforth, hmm. Your best friend Chad Danforth? Troy: Yeah, and he was sort of your boyfriend. Taylor: I remember him. Troy: He was in a car accident, and he's in the hospital now. Taylor: Oh my gosh, what happened? Troy: It was on the news, he lost control of his car and smashed into a tree. Taylor: Oh my gosh, no, that can't have happened to him, just can't, just can't, no. Troy: Taylor, are you all right? Taylor: Yeah, um, I'm fine, really. 'Bye. Troy: 'Bye. _End Conversation_

He was done with that, but he had one more thing to do. He called Sharpay. He remembered Chad's words to him about Sharpay, Troy had said, "Sharpay's kinda cute too," and Chad had replied, "Yeah, so is a mountain lion, but you don't pet it." He smiled at the thought and dialed in Sharpay's number. One ring, and she answered.

_Troy's conversation with Sharpay: _Sharpay: Hello, Sharpay Evans speaking. Troy: Sharpay, this is Troy Bolton, from East High? Sharpay: The jock Troy Bolton? The one that sang with Gabriella Montez? Troy: Yeah, same one. Is Ryan with you? Sharpay: He almost always is. Troy: Bad news, Chad was in a car accident. Sharpay: Chad Danforth? The guy that Taylor worked with to try and rip you and Gabriella apart? Troy: Yeah. (_OK, didn't need to remember about that, _he thought.) Sharpay: What happened? Troy: He lost control of his car and hit a tree. Sharpay: Oh my gosh, is he in the hospital? Troy: Yeah, most likely in bad condition. Sharpay: Oh no, I'll tell Ryan. Troy: OK, 'bye. Sharpay: 'Bye. _End Conversation_

He had done everything he felt that he needed to do. He had alerted the rest of the old gang that one of the old members was hurt. He ran out of his apartment, down the hall, into the elevator, out of the lobby and into his car.

**(A/N: OK, what'd you think of the first chapter? I'll post the second chapter ASAP, don't worry. Please, please, PLEASE review!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**(A/N: I'm so glad I got four reviews on the first day! Oh, and Jessica, thanks for reviewing. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!)**

He drove to the hospital and asked the lady at the desk, "What room would Chad Danforth be in?" The lady answered, "He's in ICU room 2210." "Thanks," Troy replied. **(A/N: February 21 is Corbin Bleu's birthday, so, now you know why his room number is 2210.)** He took the elevator and followed the signs that led him to Chad's room. He found that Sharpay, Ryan, Taylor and Gabriella were already there. _Gabriella, _he thought, _she looks the same as before, but more beautiful. _Then he scolded himself, _Snap out of it Bolton, she's probably already married._ Everyone else looked almost exactly much the same, just older.

Taylor was wearing a yellow shirt with a dark pink jacket over it and fuchsia pants with a pink head scarf. Gabriella was wearing an orange shirt and khaki pants. Sharpay was wearing a pink sparkle shirt with a dark pink sparkle skirt and silver high heels. Ryan wearing brown pants with a white long sleeved shirt and a white and green hat. He said, "Hey guys," and they all smiled and returned the greeting. Gabriella ran up and hugged him and Troy said, "Hey Gabriella." She looked up at him and said, "Call me Gabi." He said, "OK, Gabi." He sat next down next to her and asked the others, "So, what have you been doing the past six years, I mean, other than college and stuff?" Taylor replied, "I've been a clerk at JCPenney since last year." Sharpay and Ryan replied, "We're acting for local plays, but we haven't landed a main role in a while." Gabriella replied, "I got an interview for being a librarian."

Ryan asked, "Have any of you guys ever hooked up?" They all shook their heads and Taylor said sadly, "They won't let anyone in Chad's room yet." Sharpay put an arm around her and said, "He'll be fine Tay, he will, don't worry." She said, "I wanted to talk to him for all these years, I wanted to call him, but I kept chickening out, and now, I may never get a chance to talk to him again!" She burst out into tears and Gabi said, "Tay, don't talk like that, he'll be fine, OK? You'll get a chance to talk to him again, OK? Don't worry." She tried to calm down, and soon, there was no sound except for Taylor's hiccups and sniffles. Troy asked, "When do you think they'll start to let people in?" Ryan answered, "When I asked that, they said, 'Oh, soon, don't worry,' but this isn't exactly soon, is it?"

They shook their heads and Sharpay tried to lighten up the mood, "Remember in high school, how Ryan and I went all crazy when Troy and Gabi auditioned?" Ryan cut in, "No, you mean _you_ went all crazy when Troy and Gabi auditioned." Everyone laughed and Taylor said, "I remember when they sang for auditions, everyone was so shocked, who would've thought that a jock and a braniac would be singing?" Gabi added, "I know! Then, I panicked, so Troy had to start the song for me." Troy laughed, "What was it that you said? Umm, 'I can't do this Troy, not with all these people staring at me,' you said that right?" She nodded and said, "But, we got the parts of Arnold and Minnie, and Sharpay agreed to be the understudy if I couldn't make a show."

Taylor said, "I remember that you said 'Break a leg,' and I think Gabi thought you meant it literally, and her eyes got all big, and you said, 'In theater that means good luck'." Ryan smiled at that memory, and then a nurse came up to them. "Are you friends of Mr. Danforth?" she asked. They all nodded and she said, "You can go see him now." _Finally_, Taylor thought, _I thought they'd never let us see him._ They were all about to walk in to his room when the nurse said, "Only one visitor at a time for now, please." Troy said, "Taylor, you go first," but she said, "You, you're his best friend." He said, "Taylor, just go, I can go after you if the others don't mind." Everyone else agreed, so Taylor was outvoted, four to one. She sighed and walked into Chad's room.

She closed the door behind her and gasped at the sight of him. Even though it was six years since they had seen each other, she was still able to recognize him, he looked almost exactly the same. He looked _terrible_. He had cuts and bruises all over, and he just didn't look like his usual energetic self. She sat down next to his bed and held his hand. She whispered in his ear, "Chad, I don't know if you hear me, but it's Taylor, it's your Tay. Please, get better soon Chad. I'm sorry that I haven't called you or anything, I really wanted to, I really did, but I was afraid that you had a girlfriend or something, and I kept chickening out, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Chad. I'm sorry." She started crying again and used her free hand to wipe away her tears. They were slow, but they kept coming, and soon, her cheeks were tear-streaked. She buried her face in her hands and soon, she was sobbing. She wiped away some of her tears and ran out of the room.

**(A/N: Did you like it? So sad, right? Anyhow, please review! Oh, and, there's this one story I co-wrote with my other friend, Sarah, and I'll need ten reviews if you want me to continue that story. So far, I've only gotten 2 reviews, so, read that story and review it too! The story is called One Fine, One Wounded. If you like this, you'll probably like that story too. Review this please!)**


	3. Chapter 3

Ryan stopped her from running to the elevator and sat her down. She sobbed, "I can't do this, I need to go, I can't do this, I can't." Ryan put his arm around her and comforted her, "Tay, come on, he'll be fine, don't worry. He'll make it through this. Taylor sobbed, "How do you know that? How do you know that he won't die?" Troy replied, "We don't, but we have faith that he'll make it, and you need to trust that he'll be fine." Taylor scolded herself, "What am I doing? Of course he'll be fine. I need to trust that." Gabi said, "That's more like it."She said, "Troy, your turn." He nodded and walked in and closed the door. He sat down next to the bed and said, "Chad, it's Troy, remember me? Listen, I'm sorry that I haven't talked to you the past five years, I haven't talked to anyone from the gang either. Everyone's here, Tay's here, Gabi's here, and even Sharpay and Ryan are here. You need to get better soon, Tay's a total mess, she's been crying a lot since I've gotten here, and she's just a wreck." Then, he said, "Go Wildcats." He smiled and walked out of the room, and Gabi went in.

She sat next in the chair and said, "Hey Chad, it's me, Gabi Montez, you know, the braniac that got Troy into singing and according to you, 'Made your team fall apart'. I've gotten a job interview for being a librarian, go figure huh? I hope you get well soon, 'cause we're all waiting on you. Please, get well soon." She walked out and held the door open for Sharpay. Sharpay walked in and stood at the side of the bed and said, "Hey Chad, remember me? Sharpay Evans? I'm the one you referred to as an over-moussed show dog? You know, the rest of the gang, except Ryan and me of course, we all lost contact with each other, and, we haven't talked to any of the others for five years. Now, Taylor's worried that she may never get a chance to talk to you again, so, don't let her down Chad." She walked out and let Ryan in, he was the last one to visit.

He stood next to the bed like Sharpay did and said, "Chad, it's me, Ryan, you know, Sharpay's twin? The guy that always wears a hat? The rest of the gang and I dropped in to visit you, and, you know, we haven't talked to each other in five years, so, you know, I feel bad that we didn't at least send e-mails to one another, so, you know, I think everyone else feels bad. Taylor feels the worst though, she's sad that she hasn't gotten a chance to call you, and she's crying a lot, so, don't let her become miserable." He walked out and they five of them sat down again. Taylor was still sniffling and hiccuping, so, it was quiet except for that. Gabi asked, "Where are you guys living now?" Troy answered, "In an apartment," and Taylor said, "Same." Sharpay and Ryan answered, "We're sharing a big apartment," and Gabi told them, "I'm living in an apartment too." They were silent again and Sharpay asked, "Do you guys wanna get some food down in the cafeteria?" They nodded and followed her down to the cafeteria.

They ordered their food and sat down in a large booth in this order: Troy, Gabi, Sharpay, Ryan, and Taylor. As they were eating, Taylor asked, "What happened?" Everyone looked at her and asked,"What?" She continued, "Why did we lose contact after high school?" Ryan said, "I don't know, we just got busy with college and stuff, and then we got even more busy with jobs and other things, I guess." Gabi said, "I feel really bad that we haven't talked to each other for five years, we didn't even bother calling each other, and we had the phone numbers." Sharpay agreed, "Yeah, I feel guilty, we let our friendship slip away with the time." Taylor said, "Oh, yeah, I feel really bad, it's like we let our friendship just, disappear." They ate in silence for a while and Troy tried to break the tension, "Remember our old home-room teacher, what was her name?" "Miss Darbus," Sharpay replied. Gabi added, "Oh, I remember her, remember on my first day at East High, she gave all of us detentions?" Taylor laughed, "Oh yeah, all because _Troy_ accidentally pressed the call button on his phone, and that made Gabi's phone ring, and Sharpay and Ryan checked _their_ phones, and Miss Darbus caught them, then Gabi, then Troy, and I made a comment, so, yeah." They all laughed and kept talking about memories from their East High days.

Then, they finished their lunch. They walked back to the outside of Chad's room, and a nurse came up to them and asked, "Are you friends of Chad Danforth?" They all nodded and she continued, "I'm sorry to tell you that he is in very critical condition at this moment, and only life support is keeping him alive." They stared in shock, that couldn't be true, could it? The nurse kept talking, "I'm sorry to say this, but we doubt that he will make it through the rest of the day." Troy managed to ask, "What – what do you mean?" The nurse told him, "Your friend has suffered a lot of injuries, and he was in shock from losing too much blood." Ryan asked, "Is there _any_ chance of him living through the day?" The nurse said, "Yes, but they are very slim, I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you." They nodded and she said, "I'm sorry," and walked away.

_This can't be happening to Chad, he's a __Wildcat__, I've never seen him sick, or hurt to think of it, _Troy thought. Gabi was thinking, _Oh, no, oh, no, this can't be happening, it's a dream, that's it, this is all a bad dream_, she pinched herself, and it hurt, _Oh man, it's not a dream._ Ryan and Sharpay were thinking almost the same thing, Ryan was thinking, _This can't be good, this is really bad, oh, no. _Sharpay was thinking, _Oh, no, not good, this is bad, really bad, oh, no._ And Taylor was thinking, _This can't be happening to __Chad__, the Chad I know is strong, and doesn't get hurt. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. _Troy asked, "What do we do now?" Gabi answered, "We wait, I suppose." They all took turns visiting him again, and this time, Taylor was last, she had insisted. She walked in and said, "Chad, please stay with us, please, I'm begging you. In case you don't make it, I want you to know, umm, I – I umm, I love you Chad."

She leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips. She held his hand and said again, "I love you." She stayed like that for a few minutes and then, Chad's heart rate became faster, and faster, and he suddenly flat-lined.

**(A/N: Oh, no! Chad flat-lined! Hmm, what will happen? Well, five reviews and you'll get to read what happened! Mwahahahahaha!)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chad's heart rate became faster, and faster, and he suddenly flat-lined. Taylor gasped and four nurses rushed in and one of them pushed her out of the room and shut the door. "What happened?" Ryan asked. Taylor sobbed, "He – he flat-lined!" Gabi gasped, and the rest of them stared. Troy asked, "Flat-lined, as in, umm, he's uh," he couldn't think of the right word that wouldn't make Taylor start sobbing hysterically. Taylor finished, "Dead, he's dead." Sharpay put an arm around her and pulled her into a hug. Taylor broke away and watched the door to Chad's room. Gabi and Sharpay had both started crying almost as bad as Taylor. Troy pulled Gabi into a tight hug and he whispered in her ear, "It's OK, it's OK, shhh," and Gabi just stayed there, she had forgotten how Troy could comfort her, and how he made her feel. _Snap out of it Gabriella, _she thought, _He probably has a girlfriend, even though he said no, he's just not telling us. _Troy sat down with Gabi in his arms, and she walked over to the chair next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He put an arm around her and stroked her hair.

Sharpay was crying and Ryan was telling her, "It'll be fine, Shar, it'll be OK." She nodded and a nurse came out of Chad's room. Taylor looked at her with hopeful eyes and the nurse merely shook her head. Taylor started crying even harder and she buried her face in her hands. The nurse said, "We tried reviving his heart, but he just wouldn't wake up. I'm sorry, you can go see him now." Taylor fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Gabi helped her up off the floor and hugged her, and Sharpay, Troy, and Ryan put their arms around the others. Taylor said, "I can't – I can't b-believe that – he's g-gone!" Troy said, "You can see him now, you know, say a final goodbye." Taylor broke free of the mass of people and walked into Chad's room. Troy let some tears fall down his cheeks and he hastily wiped them away. Gabi hugged him and he stroked her hair and smelled Gabi's special scent of jasmine flowers and her sweet perfume of vanilla. They were an unusual combination, but they both suited her so well. It was quiet without the noise of the various machines, without all the beeping and ticking.

Taylor sat down next to Chad's bed again and sobbed, "Chad, why did you leave? I need you Chad, more than I ever told you. I always said that we were just friends in high school, but I was afraid that you didn't like me the way I liked you. I love you Chad. I love you so much. I'm sorry that I didn't call you, or talk to you, but I just, forgot, I forgot how much I loved you. Goodbye Chad, I love you, and I will forever." She placed a kiss on his lips, and held his hand. She heard a knock on the door and she said, "Come in," and in walked the rest of the gang. Ryan was letting tears flow slowly down his cheeks, and Gabi and Sharpay's cheeks were covered in tears that kept coming like a waterfall. Troy kept trying to wipe his tears away, but he eventually gave up and let them fall freely. Taylor said, "I can't – I can't believe that he's actually gone." Troy said in a hoarse voice, "None of us can Tay, none of us can." Gabi said in a small voice, "I'm sorry Tay," and she replied, "It's OK, I guess." Sharpay told her gently, while trying to suppress her tears, "We know how much you – how much you loved him." Taylor nodded and said, "I don't think he even knows that I love him." Ryan protested, "Tay, he knows, trust me, he knows that you love him." She sadly nodded and squeezed Chad's still-warm hand, and he squeezed hers back.

She gasped and everyone asked, "What? What is it?" She said, "I thought, thought, that Chad just squeezed my hand." Her hand was gently squeezed again, and the heart monitor started beeping again, but only slow beeps. Taylor gasped, "He's alive?" Gabi looked from the monitor to Taylor to Chad, and answered, "Well, the monitor is beeping, and you said that you thought he squeezed you hand, so, I guess that he is?" That was more of a question then a statement and Sharpay ran over to the call button and started pressing it over and over again. A nurse came in and saw the monitor beeping. She went to get some other nurses and three of them came back with her. They pushed the rest of the gang out of the room and detached Taylor's hand from Chad's. They waited outside for twenty more long minutes, and one of the nurses came out and said, "I don't know how, but he's alive, when we tried reviving his heart, it must not have responded right away." Taylor gasped, as did the rest of the gang. The other three nurses came out and Ryan asked, "Can we go in and see him?" The nurses stepped aside and let the gang in.

Taylor put her hand in Chad's again and told him softly, "Thank you for coming back, I love you." Her hand was squeezed again and she smiled. The rest of the gang sat down in various chairs around the room and talked about memories from East High, like the play, and Sharpay and Ryan's plan to rip Troy and Gabi apart, good times, good times. Taylor asked, "Remember when Gabi slipped and her lunch went all over Sharpay's shirt?" Everyone, even Sharpay laughed. Sharpay said in her defense, "Hey, those chili fries were really hot," but that just made everyone else laugh even harder. After they had calmed down a bit, they heard a familiar voice ask, "What's everyone laughing about?" They looked at each other, and then to Chad's bed. Chad was awake! He sat up a bit and Taylor threw her arms around him, squeezing the daylights out of him until he choked out as a joke, "Tay, you're killing me, can't breathe." This only made her hug him tighter, and then Chad gasped, "Taylor, can't, breathe, really, can't breathe, not joking," he turned to the gang, "Help!" Troy said, "Tay, he's alive, for now, but if you keep squeezing him like that, you'll kill him for sure," and everyone laughed.

Chad studied the faces of the familiar people in the room and asked, "Troy? Gabi, Sharpay, Ryan, is it really you guys?" Gabi nodded and she apologized, "Sorry that we didn't call, none of us did, really." The others nodded and Chad asked, "How long has it been since we've talked to each other?" Sharpay answered, "Five years." Chad gave a low whistle and said, "Man, five years, that's a pretty long time." Taylor asked, "Did you hear anything while you were in a coma?" Chad thought for a minute and said, "I remember hearing voices talking to me, and I heard someone say 'I love you'." Taylor blushed a bit and said, "That was me." Chad asked, "Now that you know I'm alive, do you still love me?" Taylor smiled and said, "Of course." Chad asked, "I also heard that you wanted to call me or something, but you kept backing out or something like that, what was that about?" Taylor explained, "Well, I kept thinking you had a girlfriend, and that you didn't like me the way I liked you." Chad scoffed, "Tay, that's ridiculous, I don't have a girlfriend, and I did like you, you know, like you, like you." Taylor smiled and said, "I love you Chad." He replied, "I love you too Taylor." They shared a kiss and Troy teased, "How sweet."

Chad said, "Whatever Troy." Gabi giggled and Chad rolled his eyes at her. Taylor asked him, "So, when I was hugging you and you said that you couldn't breathe, was that a joke, or for real?" Chad replied, "The first time, it was a joke, the second time, it was for real." Taylor apologized, "Sorry, but it's just that, you were alive." He said, "Yeah, I know." The nurse came back in and said, "I see he's awake." The gang smiled and said, "Yeah, he is." The nurse said, "Mr. Danforth, you will be at the hospital for two more weeks, and then you will be able to go home, but you'll have to do some rehabilitation for about three weeks after that." Then, she handed Taylor a bottle of pills and said, "He'll need to take these if the pain grows, and if the pain doesn't subside, bring him to the hospital immediately." Taylor nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure he'll be fine." The nurse smiled and said to Chad, "You're lucky to have such a devoted wife," and walked out of the room. Chad's jaw dropped and Taylor's did too. Ryan teased, "So, Mr. and Mrs. Danforth, how long have you been married?" and Sharpay added, "How come you didn't tell us you were married? I would have been the Maid of Honor." Gabi argued, "No, _I _would be the maid of honor, and Troy would be the Best Man." Ryan joked, "Who said that?" Troy said, "Since _I've _been his best friend since elementary school, it's only fair that _I _be the best man." They all laughed, except for Chad and Taylor. Taylor said, "Ha-ha very funny," and Chad said, "Oh, I'm dying of laughter, I can't breathe."

The gang laughed even harder and finally, they calmed down. Then, Taylor said to tease Chad, "_Honey,_ are you feeling any better?" Chad rolled his eyes again and played along, "Yes _sweetie_ I'm fine." The gang, all of them, laughed and Troy joked, "Hey, that looked good with the two of you." Chad laughed, "Yeah, I guess." They laughed again and after they had calmed down, Gabi asked, "Hey, Chad, Taylor, do you guys want us to go down to the cafeteria and get you guys some food?" Taylor said, "Sure that's fine." Chad nodded and Gabi and Sharpay started acting like waitresses. Sharpay asked, "What you like to order ma'am?" Taylor smiled, "I'd like to get a slice of pepperoni pizza." Sharpay asked, "To drink?" Taylor giggled, "I'd like, a root beer please." Sharpay asked, "Would you like some dessert?" That was it for Taylor. She burst out laughing and choked out, "Sure, a vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate syrup and a cherry." Sharpay smiled, "That'll be right up, ma'am." Gabi asked Chad, "What about you sir? What would you like to eat?" Chad grinned, "A slice of sausage pizza, and to drink, Mountain Dew." Gabi questioned, "Any dessert?" Chad grinned even wider, "An ice cream sundae, same as Taylor." Gabi asked as a joke, "Are you here on your honeymoon?" Chad said, "No, we're not." Sharpay and Gabi said, "Right," and they dragged Troy and Ryan down to the cafeteria.

**(A/N: Didja like it? Review to tell me, please! Five reviews saying you love/like it will continue the story for you!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N: Hey! I'm so, _so, so, SO_ sorry that I haven't updated! It's been crazy since June 16 until yesterday, which was June 23. A bunch of my relatives came in from Norway and the Philippines, so, we showed them around, went to Cincinatti, and all that stuff. So, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!)**

Gabi and Sharpay ordered what Chad and Taylor wanted, and fit that on two trays, and Troy and Ryan ordered what they wanted, and they had to carry what Gabi and Sharpay wanted. Troy had ordered pepperoni and sausage pizza with a Coke and a slice of apple pie, Ryan ordered a chicken club sandwich (six inch) with a 7-up and a sugar cookie, Gabi ordered cheese pizza with a Fanta drink and a brownie, and Sharpay ordered a ham and cheese sandwich with Mello Yello and fudge. They carefully brought the trays up to Chad's room, and Gabi and Sharpay said as waitresses again, "Enjoy your meal." Taylor said, "OK." As they were eating, and the girls were all talking, Troy whispered to the boys, "Guys, I think I'm falling in love with Gabi all over again." Ryan asked, "Why don't you just tell her?" Troy replied, "Are you _insane?_ I can't tell Gabi that, she might not feel the same way." Chad said, "Dude, how can you _not_ tell that she loves you back? It's so obvious." Ryan nodded in agreement and he said, "I'll tell her I love her soon, trust me." Meanwhile, Gabi was having the same talk with the girls.

She whispered, "I think I love Troy again." Taylor asked, "Are you gonna tell him?" Gabi answered, "Are you _out of your mind?_ I can't do that! He probably doesn't even like me, like me." Sharpay stated, "OK, you've lost it Gabi, how can you _possibly_ not tell that he likes you, likes you?" She said, " I don't know, but, I might tell him soon." Taylor said, "You'd better, otherwise, I'd think you're crazy." She sighed and said, "All right, you guys are right, again." As they finished up, a nurse came in and said, "Good news Mr. Danforth, you'll be transferred to a normal room, your injuries are healing quite rapidly, you may not even _have_ to stay for two weeks, maybe one, and two weeks of rehab, but you're fine." Chad smiled and said, "All right, great!" Sharpay said to Taylor, "May I take your tray ma'am ?" Taylor started laughing again and gave Sharpay her tray. Gabi walked over to Chad and asked, "Can I take your tray sir?" Chad handed over his tray, and so did Troy and Ryan. She stuck her tongue out at them and Sharpay and Gabi took the trays down to the cafeteria. When they came back up, Chad was in a rolling stretcher and a nurse said, "I'm going to transfer him to room number 1090 on the second floor." They wheeled Chad down to the elevator, with the gang tagging along. They all crammed into the elevator and the nurse wheeled him into room 109 The gang kept talking to Chad, and then, Troy tapped Gabi and the shoulder and asked, "Gabs, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," she replied. He pulled her over to a corner of the room and he said, "Gabriella, I've wanted to say this to you for a long time, and now, I'll just say it out loud. I love you Gabriella." The gang heard this and gasped, waiting for Gabi's answer. She smiled, "I love you too Troy." Troy leaned in to kiss her, and they shared a kiss. Chad teased, "Oooh," and Troy blushed, so did Gabi. Taylor smiled and said, "Hmm, Troy and Gabi, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Troy asked, "Aren't you a _bit _old for that first-grade song?" Taylor said, "You're never too old for anything."

Ryan laughed and Gabi retorted, "Chad and Taylor, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Sharpay laughed and Taylor told Gabi, "OK, fine, we're even,just, don't do that." Chad joked, "What, Tay? I'm not good enough for you?" Taylor laughed, "Oh, come on, of course you are." Chad asked, "So, when I woke up, what _were _all you guys laughing about?" Troy said, "OK, so, remember at East High, in the cafeteria, when Gabi slipped and her food went all over Sharpay's shirt?" Chad laughed, "Oh, yeah, Sharpay screamed, Gabi started panicking, and I stopped you from getting in there!" They all laughed and the nurse came in again. She asked, "Mr. Danforth, how are you feeling?" Chad replied, "I'm feeling great." The nurse smiled, "Good. Your doctor and the nurses have decided that in a week, you'll be starting rehab, and two weeks after that, you'll be out of the hospital." Chad smiled, "All right, that's awesome." The nurse smiled and walked out of the room. Taylor said, "OK, so, only a week, then two weeks of rehab, then you'll be free!" Chad smiled and said, "Thank goodness, I don't think I can take any more of the hospital." Gabi told him, "Look on the bright side, after rehab, you could play one-on-one basketball with Troy, or you three guys against us three girls. Troy laughed, "You girls think you can beat us guys in basketball?" Sharpay said, "What's wrong with that?" Ryan grinned, "Because girls can't play basketball." Taylor told the guys, "Well, if girls can't play basketball, then why were Troy and Chad even on the team?" Gabi and Sharpay laughed, "Ooh, burn."

Chad rolled his eyes, and Troy said, "Oh, ha-ha, funny." This aroused a memory for Gabi. "Troy, remember when I visited you in the gym? And I scored a basket?" Troy nodded and then he said, "Yeah, you said you scored forty-one points in a league championship game, and I believed you." Gabi replied, "Yeah, you believed me until I said, 'Yeah, and in the same day I invented the space shuttle and microwave popcorn'." Chad laughed, "Troy, you believed her?" Everyone started laughing and Troy just stated, "Whatever." Ryan asked, "Hey, what song did you say you and Gabi sang when you met at the ski lodge?" They both replied, "The Start of Something New." Ryan turned to Sharpay, "I told you!" Taylor asked, "Told her what?" Ryan explained, "While we were on our way to the hospital, I was driving, and we heard 'The Start of Something New' on the radio. So, I asked Sharpay, 'Isn't this Troy and Gabi's song that they sang when they met?' and Sharpay said, 'No, it's not,' and I kept arguing with her that it was, but she wouldn't believe me." Sharpay rolled her eyes, "OK, you were right this time." "Good," Ryan said. He continued, "Dear sweet baby sister, when will you ever learn that I'm _always _right?" Sharpay gave him a death glare and the others sniggered and laughed.

Sharpay told them, "Oh, shut up." They kept laughing and she just rolled her eyes. The days flew by, and soon, Chad was able to start rehab, exactly a week after. The nurse said, "Mr. Danforth, why don't you step out of the bed for a minute and try to walk around a bit?" Chad swung his legs over the bed and stood shakily while holding onto the bedpost. He let go and held his balance. "Good," the nurse commented. "Try walking small steps." He took a few baby steps before wavering and almost falling. Taylor grabbed his hand and helped him regain balance. "Thanks Tay," he whispered. Taylor whispered back, "No problem." With Taylor and the gang's help, Chad was able to walk around the room a few times, almost never losing his balance. Soon, he was rolled in a wheelchair to the rehabilitation room and he walked around, and overall, got his strength back. Later that day, Taylor asked Chad if he wanted her to go to his apartment and get him some fresh clothes. "Thanks Tay," he replied, "here's the key." He gave her the address, and she drove there, and walked to his apartment. When she opened the door, she was greeted by a huge mess of an apartment. "What a slob," she muttered to herself. _But then again,_ she thought, _it __is__ Chad after all, _she made her way to his room and opened his closet, grabbing three pairs of jeans and three shirts, and a bag to put them in.

She drove back and gave Chad his clothes and whispered before he went to change, "Your apartment is a mess." He smiled, "Well Tay, you know me, I haven't changed at all." She rolled her eyes and he went in to change. After only half a week in rehab, his doctor and the nurse told them, "Mr. Danforth, you seem to be healing very fast, you probably only need one more day of rehabilitation before you can go home." Troy smiled and Gabi said, "Good, that's just great!" and the rest of the gang agreed. On his last day of rehab, he and the gang talked about old East High memories, like, how Troy and Gabi shocked the whole school by singing, when Gabi's lunch fell on Sharpay, and when Gabi fooled Troy with the space shuttle and microwave popcorn joke. After they had given Chad permission to leave, they all drove home in their cars and agreed the boys agreed to pick the girls up and drive them to a surprise place. Troy, Chad, and Ryan did three-way to talk about where they'd take the girls.

**(A/N: So... how'd you like it? As usual, five reviews and I'll continue the story. Also, please, _please, please_, read One Fine, One Wounded, which is by me and a friend, and I've only got two reviews!)**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N: Hey! Once again, I am really, really sorry about the long update thing. I've been busy lately. Wait,_ me _busy in _summer_? I think I'm going crazy... LOL. Hope you like it!)**

Troy, Chad, and Ryan did three-way to talk about where they'd take the girls.

_Three way talk: _

Troy: Hey, Chad, Ryan, where do you wanna take the girls?

Chad: Dunno, I thought you were planning.

Ryan: Yeah, I thought _you _were Troy.

Troy: OK, I was just joking. I reserved a table for the six of us at Eddie Merlot's for tonight at six o'clock. Oh, and it's a really fancy place, you'll need to wear a tux.

Chad: A _tux? _

Troy: Yep.

Ryan: So, after we have dinner, what will we do?

Troy: Well, the table I reserved is outside, so first, we hope that it doesn't rain.

Chad: Ryan was talking about after, you dimwit.

Troy: Shut up. OK, so, after dinner, we take the girls to the park for a moonlit walk.

Chad: Hmm, very romantic, Romeo.

Troy: Shut up. Ryan: Troy, are you gonna call the girls?

Troy: Yeah, but first, you, me, and Chad need to do a bit of shopping.

Chad: Shopping? Did the girls brainwash you or something?

Troy: Just meet me at the mall at three thirty.

Ryan: That's in half an hour.

Chad: No, really? Ryan: Why are you being so sarcastic?

Chad: Hey, I was in a coma for like, a week, give me a break.

Troy: Well, I'll call the girls, you guys meet me at the mall at three thirty, got it?

Chad: Got it.

Ryan: Got it.

_End conversation_

Troy hung up and then called Gabi:

_Troy's conversation with Gabi: _

Gabi: Hello?

Troy: Hey Gabs, it's me Troy.

Gabi: Hey, what's up?

Troy: OK, so, the guys and I are planning a surprise for you girls, so, can you call Sharpay and Taylor to spread the news?

Gabi: Sure.

Troy: OK, first of all, you girls need to wear dresses, and the guys and I are wearing tuxes.

Gabi: Ooh, fancy. What else?

Troy: OK, so, can the guys pick you girls up at your house?

Gabi: Sure. Troy: Be ready at five thirty, got it?

Gabi: Got it. Is that it?

Troy: Yep, pretty much.

Gabi: OK, bye Troy.

Troy: See ya later Gabi.

_End conversation_

Troy hung up and drove to the mall, even though he was half an hour early. He walked to the jewelry store and looked at the rings, when his cell phone rang. It was Chad asking where he was. He told him and in five minutes, Chad and Ryan were there. "A jewelry store?" Chad asked. "A jewelry store." Troy replied. The girls however, were at Gabi's house, and Gabi had told the girls everything Troy had told her. Sharpay asked, "We need to wear dresses?" Taylor inquired, "The boys need to wear a tux?" Gabi nodded and said, "It must be fancy." Sharpay asked, "Why don't we go shopping? It's been _forever_ since we've gone shopping together." "Yeah! Let's go!" Gabi and Taylor exclaimed. They hopped in Sharpay's car, and went to a dress store just a few blocks away. Gabriella exclaimed, "Ooh, look at all these dresses! They're all so beautiful, I can't choose!" Sharpay teased, "Well, the two of you will get to choose two, one for the date, and one for your weddings." Taylor said, "Hey, just because the nurse mistook us for husband and wife doesn't mean we'll actually get married." Sharpay said, "Whatever you say."

Gabi rolled her eyes and started looking around. She found a dress that was just like the one she wore when the cast was doing 'We're All in This Together,' and she loved it, and also matching red high heels. She found one that was her size and went into the fitting room. When she came out and asked, "Do you like it?" Taylor and Sharpay said, "We love it!" Gabi changed back into her jeans and shirt and said, "Well, I'm buying this one, you guys need to get your dresses." Taylor and Sharpay looked around, and Taylor found her dress. It was a strapless dark red dress that went down to her knees, with gold lines forming a criss-cross pattern on it, and gold trim on the bottom. She also bought black high heel shoes to go with it. Sharpay bought a strapless black dress with tiny white polka dots on it, and an inch of black lace on the bottom, with a huge turquoise bow on her left waist (the right side), and matching turquoise slip-on high heels. They paid for their dresses and shoes, and drove back to Sharpay's house and talked until it was five o'clock, then they changed into their dresses and shoes and drove to Gabi's house.

The guys, however, were shopping for their tuxes while the girls were out dress shopping. They all bought the same style, the classic black pants and jacket, with the white long sleeved shirt, and a black tie. Then, Troy drove them the flower shop. "What're we doing here?" Ryan inquired. Troy replied, "You can't go on a date without giving your girlfriend a rose! Plus, we need a flower to go with our suits." Chad rolled his eyes and said, "Troy's been love-struck, well, we've lost him Ryan." Troy rolled his eyes and said, "Just shut up and get a flower for your date, and a flower for your suit. Ryan, obviously, you only need one flower." Ryan shrugged and looked around. Troy just ended up buying a white carnation for his tux, and a red rose for Gabi, Chad bought the same, and Ryan just bought a white carnation for his suit. They drove back to Troy's apartment and took turns changing into their tuxes. Troy went first, then Ryan, then the two of them forced Chad to change. When they were done, it was around five-fifteen, so Troy called Gabi and asked if they were ready.

The girls were ready, so Troy drove the guys to Gabi's house and the girls were waiting outside, under the old oak tree. **(A/N: By 'house', which I keep using, I mean their apartments, so, sorry if I confused you.)** Troy smiled a goofy smile, and Chad did too. "Oh boy," Ryan said. Gabi and Taylor blushed and Sharpay muttered, rather loudly, "Ryan, aren't you glad that we're not lovesick like the others?" Ryan laughed and said, "Yeah, so glad." Gabi kissed Troy on the cheek and Troy smiled even goofier. Chad rolled his eyes as Taylor kissed his cheek, and he got the same effect as Troy. Troy said, "Sure, you tease me, but you do the exact same thing, whatever dude." Troy's van, which could seat seven, seated the gang comfortably. Troy was in the driver's seat, of course, Gabi was in the passenger seat, Chad was seated behind Troy, Taylor was behind Gabi, Ryan was in the back, behind Chad, and Sharpay was in the back behind Taylor. They drove to Eddie Merlot and Troy parked the car. He got out of the car, then opened the door for Gabi, helping her out as well, Chad did the same for Taylor, and the Evans twins just clambered out. They walked into the restaurant and a waitress asked, "Do you have a reservation?" Troy replied, "Yes, it's, um, under Troy Bolton." "Bolton, Bolton, here we are, if you come with me, I can show you to your seats." The gang followed her to a table for six with a white tablecloth.

The sun was just setting, and it cast a golden glow on the table. They were seated and the waitress asked, "Would you like a glass of champagne?" The gang replied, "Oh, yes please." Then, Troy gave Gabi the red rose, and Chad gave his to Taylor. Gabi blushed, "Oh, thanks Troy, that was thoughtful." Taylor grinned, "Thanks Chad, how sweet." Sharpay smiled and said, "Great, Ryan, we're surrounded by lovebirds." Ryan nodded, "Sharpay, do you think we'll be able to survive a night with them?" Sharpay replied, "Let's just hope." Gabi said, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." The champagne came and the gang all had one flute glass of champagne, then another for the meal. They ordered filet mingnon, charred on the edges and pink in the middle for the whole table. After they had eaten the main course, they ordered chocolate cake, then they all split the check and paid a bit of it. When dinner was over, it was eight o'clock, so Troy drove them to the park. The moon was just coming out, and it was a full moon.

**(A/N: Didja like it? I'm not gonna ask for a specific number of reviews, but just as long as I get reviews! One more chapter and this story will be over! I'm sorta sad that it'll be ending soon... but anyway, I've already got the last chapter written, so if you want it, you'll have to review!)**


	7. Chapter 7

When dinner was over, it was eight o'clock, so Troy drove them to the park. The moon was just coming out, and it was a full moon. It cast a soft yellow glow on the whole park. Troy and Gabi walked hand-in-hand, and so did Chad and Taylor. They walked and talked for about an hour, and stopped walking and stood by a pond, with four swans in it. The moon reflected off the pond water, and it set a romantic mood. Just as the clock struck nine o'clock in the distance, Troy dug in his right-hand pocket, tapped Gabi's shoulder, got down on one knee, and asked, "Gabriella Montez, will you marry me?" He held out a silver-banded ring with a diamond in the center, and two sapphires on the left and right side of it. Gabi gasped and tears started coming out of her eyes. "Oh boy, here come the waterworks," Ryan stated. Sharpay stomped on his toe, with her sharp heel. Ryan gasped with pain and said, "Ow!" Sharpay gave him a look and Ryan put his hands up a bit to signal that he would stop. Troy panicked at the sight of the tears, stood up, and said hurriedly, "Gabi, please, don't cry, Gabi, um, I'm sorry?" Gabriella smacked his arm and Troy exclaimed, "Ouch! What was that for?" Gabi laughed, "Jocks really are dumb aren't they? These are tears of _joy_, you idiot, of course I'll marry you!" Troy smiled and slipped the ring onto her left hand finger. Gabi and Troy kissed each other on the lips and Gabi laughed, "I'm going to be Gabriella Anne Bolton." Troy smiled, picked Gabi up around the waist, and twirled her around.

Chad said to Taylor, "Tay, umm, I have a question for you, too." Then _he_ got down on one knee and asked Taylor, "Taylor McKessie, will you marry me?" Taylor smiled and said, "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" He presented her with a gold-banded ring, with a diamond and two amethysts on the left and right side of the diamond. He slid it onto her finger and the two new engaged couples hugged, and shared their first kiss as an engaged couple. They walked, hand-in-hand through the park, still in the romantic mood. Chad asked, "Taylor, you really wanna be Taylor Adrienne Danforth?" Taylor looked up at him and said, "Yes, I wanna be Taylor Adrienne Danforth." Ryan and Sharpay said, "Well, who's gonna be what at your weddings?" Troy said, "Well, first we need to think of a date for our wedding you know." Ryan shrugged and Gabi said, "I just wanna have a small wedding, you know, parents, old friends, you know." Troy said, "I agree with that, I mean, why would you need a _huge_ wedding?" Taylor asked, "Is it OK if we have a small wedding too?" Chad nodded, "Sure, anything for you." Sharpay said, "Lovebirds." The two couples just ignored this and laughed. Troy asked, "When should we get married?" Gabi said, "We'll decide that later, for now, I just wanna enjoy every minute of this." Chad nodded and said, "I can't believe it, but I'm actually agreeing with Gabi." Sharpay said, "Well, girls, good luck living with the boys." Ryan said, "Guys, good luck living with the girls." They laughed and said, "Thanks, but, I don't think we'll need it." The old gang walked on to a gazebo in the park that looked over the lake, talking and laughing. Their friendship, that had gone away like the time, had been reconstructed with the time as well.

_The End_

* * *

**(A/N: How'd you like it? This is the first part of a trilogy, so look for the sequel, Coming Back With Time, I'll be posting it soon, don't worry! I just wanna give a great thanks to everyone who reviewed, really, all of you guys are great! Thanks very much!) **


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